I'll Always Be Your Chocobo Knight
by Sirea the Beautiful Disaster
Summary: [One-Shot] Clasko's found his calling, but something's still missing. Can a certain former Chocobo Knight help him find it? Post-FFX2, rated PG just in case. Reviews would be appreciated.


A/N: I don't really do romances, I'm more the drama/angst type. Geez this is gonna ruin my reputation. But poor Clasko doesn't have many stories, and I came up with this idea while raising and dispatching chocobos in FFX-2 a few hours ago. I haven't finished the game yet, so I apologize for any discrepancies. Please R&R if you like.

--Insert Default Disclaimer Here--

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I'll Always Be Your Chocobo Knight

By: Sirea

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"Cause in his life he is filled with all these good intentions,

He's left a lot of things he'd rather not mention right now.

But just before he says goodnight, 

He looks up with a little smile at me, and he says:

'If I could be like that, I would give anything

Just to live one day, in those shoes

If I could be like that, what would I do?

What would I do?'"

~3 Doors Down, "Be Like That" 

The sun started to set over Spira's Calm Lands, wonderful hues of orange and pink stretching across the vast plains. Calm Skies, Inc. employees could be seen packing up their attractions for the next day, pulling carts full of caged lupines, monkeys, lizards and gulls to their respective farms. Stragglers, trying to fit in a few last games, ran here and there, trying to convince the merchants to let them play one last time. Since the Eternal Calm started, people had time to squabble over simple things like which attraction to visit next, or what to spend their hard-earned tokens on.

Clasko watched the sunset from the doorway of his chocobo ranch for a few more minutes, then turned on the bright floodlight to repel fiends as he prepared to turn in for the night. It had been a full day of ordering greens, feeding chocobos and mucking out stalls. He had even started taking down the old monster arena decor, to make the ranch more inviting to visitors. Business had been picking up as of late because of Calm Skies, not to mention the manager, Tobli, had been giving the young proprietor some publicity with a giant billboard at the entrance by Macalania Woods. There definitely wasn't a lack for treasure-seekers on Spira, if business kept up the ranch would have to be expanded. At least Yuna was still helping him catch chocobos.

Clasko still couldn't thank Lady Yuna enough for helping him find his calling. Even if it did mean having to ride on that airship and being so airsick he could barely leave his bed. He walked up the ramp to the second floor, back to the corner stall and entered Oblivion's stall. Oblivion was Clasko's personal and most faithful chocobo, named so because she had been sent to every corner of Spira, from Besaid to Zanarkand, and has always returned. The large bird was crouched in the corner, nesting in the clean hay. Clasko sat beside her, stroking her feathers as she warked contently. The other birds in the ranch could be heard rustling about, settling down for the night, and a couple vespas buzzed outside the door, swarming around the floodlight. Clasko leaned his head against the wall of Oblivions' stall, so tired from the day's work and so relaxed by the side of his chocobo, that he nearly fell asleep.

A rustling at the door, followed by echoing footsteps in the stone hallway startled Clasko out his light slumber. He glanced at Oblivion, who was fast asleep with her head nestled it his lap. He gently lifted her head and got up, silently opening the door to the stall and stepping out, as not to alert the intruder of his presence. The last time this happened, a queen coeurl ate two of his choco-reserves. He drew his sword as he pressed his back against the wall. The footsteps paused, then started again, this time in his direction. His heart pounding against his chest, he jumped from his hiding place with a yell, his sword high above his head, expecting to be confronted with a fearsome fiend. What he didn't expect was the feminine shriek he got in response.

"Clasko, what in Omega's name are you doing?!"

"Elma?!" He gasped, his voice breaking in surprise and shock.

Elma was on the ground, nearly having fainted from the sight of Clasko about to charge at her with a weapon. "You nearly cut my head off! Is this how you greet all your visitors?"

"When they come in the middle of the night, yes!" Clasko paused, catching his breath from the recent adrenaline rush, then looked down at Elma, still on the floor looking rather dazed.

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Man, I can't do anything right, I nearly killed my friend. Clasko scolded himself as he helped Elma off the ground. She brushed the dirt off her bottom and straightened her hair, looking at the 18-year-old from the corner of her eye.

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He hasn't changed a bit. Hanging around chocobos, still wearing that armor from his "knight" days. And he still looks like he's twelve. Elma smiled slightly as she turned to Clasko.

"You look like you're doing well."

"Yes," Clasko turned to look down the row of chocobo pens. "I've finally found my calling, finally found something I'm good at, that I don't screw up..." He trailed off, staring at the floor.

"Clasko..." Elma wanted to tell him that that wasn't true, that he had been a wonderful Chocobo Knight, and a wonderful friend, but the words just wouldn't come. _All these old feelings resurfacing again... _

"So, why'd you come all this way, and in the middle of the night?" Elma looked up; Clasko was facing her again with a questioning look on his face.

"Well, Commander Lucil was talking about you the other day, and it got me thinking about the old days, about when we were the Chocobo Knights, guarding the Highroad together. We had a lot of good times, back then..."

"Yeah, we did." Clasko smiled as he recalled days past, memories he hadn't thought about in a long time, being wrapped up in opening the ranch and all. _And Elma's just as beautiful as I remember her..._

Elma started to speak again. "It got me thinking, now that chocobos are back on the Highroad-"

"What?" Clasko couldn't help but interrupt. "The chocobos returned?"

"Yes, with help from Rin, and Lady Yuna of course. A lot has changed since you've been gone." 

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It's been too long...

"I guess so," Clasko thought aloud. "I'm sorry I interrupted you, Elma. Please, go on."

Elma looked slightly distracted by her thoughts; she was staring intently at him. Clasko started to get a little uncomfortable. "...Elma?"

"Oh, yes!" She turned a light shade of pink. "So, I was thinking that we could start the Chocobo Knights again. I've still got all the armor for the birds. Rin thinks it's a wonderful idea, and I've already gotten permission from the Commander. What do you think?" She smiled, clenching her fist in excitement.

Clasko raised his eyebrows, surprised. This wasn't what he expected at all. He was slightly disappointed. _So she didn't come just to see me..._

"Elma, I'm happy here, with all my chocobos," he started. "I've found something to live for. I don't think I could leave that. Besides, I'd probably just end up being a failure again..."

"Clasko, when will you get it through your head?" Elma couldn't hold back any longer. "You're not a failure. You took great care of the chocobos while we were knights; we couldn't have done it with out you. And through it all, you made lifelong friends, Lucil, and me..." Tears started to form in the corners of Elma's eyes. _Clasko, please don't do this...I need you..._

Well, as long as she's not holding back, I might as well not either. "Well, unfortunately, I failed at that too, because I never wanted you as just my friend. I cared for you much more than a friend should, but I couldn't do anything about it. So that _does_ make me a failure." He looked up at her, his face burning with emotion. "So I left, partly because I was unhappy with the Youth League, but mostly because I couldn't stand up and tell you how I felt..." His voice faded away. _I said too much...she's going to run out crying and I'm never going to see her again._

Elma looked at him, her mouth slightly open from shock. She raised a hand to her mouth, as a single tear streamed down her face. "Clasko..."

"Elma, I'm so sorry, I--" He took a couple steps towards her.

"No, it's not that...you just said what I've wanted to hear for the last three years." Elma smiled at him, another tear involuntarily falling down her face.

"Wha...really?" Clasko looked into her eyes. "I had no idea you felt the same way."

All Elma could do was smile, and nod her head.

Slowly, hesitantly, Clasko closed the space between them, running a hand through her jet-black hair. He looked at her lips, then into her eyes. "I, uh...I've never done this before," he admitted.

A giggle escaped Elma's lips. "It's okay...neither have I..."

That assured him a little he glanced down her lips again, licked his own, then closed his eyes as their mouths met. Uncertain at first, all his anxiety melted away as he slipped his tongue past her lips. She gave in to him, wrapping her arms around him, and gratefully returned the kiss. His hand rested on her neck as he pulled her in closer.

Behind them, a chocobo stirred in its sleep, warking contently, as the torches on the wall flickered and crackled, and the vespas outside continued to hum their melody, unaware of the passion igniting just yards away.

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I love you...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A couple hours later, the two newfound lovers sat on a wide ledge high above the ranch that Clasko had discovered a few months ago. Elma sat infront of him, leaning against his chest, his arm hung lazily around her shoulders as he fingered the small beads in her hair. Elma closed her eyes, savoring the moment she had waited so long for, as she nestled her head under Clasko's chin.

"So, you don't want to reorganize the Chocobo Knights?" she asked softly, tracing the outline of his shirt collar with her fingers.

"I'm content right here, Elma. I could never leave the ranch."

"I see..."

"Clasko pulled her up to face him. "But you could stay here with me," he started, looking into her eyes. "I'm going to need more help with the ranch, with business the way it's been. I'd...also like to have you around a lot more, and with you stationed on the Highroad we'd never see each other."

Clasko's face fell slightly when Elma cast down her eyes. "But Commander Lucil, I couldn't leave her..."

"She'd understand." He lifted her chin with his hand, and she looked at him again. "Please, Elma, I need you."

Her heart melted at those words, and she smiled at him. "All right, Clasko. I'll stay. But I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do back at headquarters."

Clasko grinned and pulled her into a tight embrace. His next words were hesitant; nervously, he said the words that he had longed to say, and that she had longed to hear.

"Elma...I-I love you."

She lifted her head up, inches away from his. "And I love you too Clasko." She leaned in for a kiss, one he gladly accepted.

As they once again became enveloped in each other, the sun began to peek over the horizon for another day on the Calm Lands. But, chances were, this day would be much different than the rest for the young chocobo breeder.

He finally found his calling...

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~fin~


End file.
